This FAQ addresses the questions Michigan CPL applicants and instructors ask most often. Answers cite the operative Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL). The...
Reviewed by Will Luker, Founder of CCW Hub. USCCA Training Counselor, USCCA Certified Instructor, NRA Certified Instructor, Law Enforcement.
This FAQ addresses the questions Michigan CPL applicants and instructors ask most often. Answers cite the operative Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL). The Michigan Legislature's "Firearms Laws of Michigan" PDF is the controlling reference for any close question, and the statute text itself governs over any summary.
You must be at least 21 years old and a Michigan resident under MCL 28.425b(7). Active-duty military stationed in Michigan, or active-duty military stationed elsewhere whose home of record is Michigan, may apply as residents. New residents who hold a valid concealed carry license from another state may apply without satisfying the usual six-month residency window.
Yes. Under MCL 28.425b(7)(f), a county clerk shall issue a CPL only to applicants who have never been convicted of a felony, and a felony conviction (or a pending felony charge) is a permanent statutory disqualifier in the absence of a court order setting the conviction aside. Certain misdemeanors also block issuance for either three or eight years depending on the offense, under MCL 28.425b(7)(h) and (i). NICS and LEIN checks confirm federal and state prohibitor status before the clerk issues the license.
Important - federal Lautenberg ban: A misdemeanor "crime of domestic violence" triggers a lifetime federal firearms prohibition under 18 USC 922(g)(9) (the Lautenberg Amendment). Because the CPL background check includes NICS, a federal DV-misdemeanor conviction permanently disqualifies you regardless of Michigan's 8-year window, unless the conviction is expunged or set aside or your firearm rights are restored under federal law.
Generally no. Michigan issues CPLs to residents only, with narrow exceptions for active-duty military stationed in Michigan and for service members whose home of record is Michigan. If you live in another state, you carry in Michigan under reciprocity using your home-state license, not a Michigan CPL.
Yes. MCL 28.432a exempts certain individuals from the CPL requirement, including regularly employed peace officers as defined in MCL 28.512 and members of the United States military acting in the line of duty. Separately, qualified retired law enforcement officers who meet the conditions of the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, 18 USC 926C, may carry under that federal authority, which is independent of the Michigan CPL-exemption statute, MCL 28.432a. Civilians who do not fit these categories must have a CPL to carry concealed.
A separate, narrow path exists for some non-residents under MCL 28.422(9). A qualifying non-resident may carry a pistol in Michigan without a Michigan license only if the person owns the pistol under MCL 28.422(9)(c) and is present in Michigan for 180 days or less with no intent to establish residency under MCL 28.422(9)(e), among the other conditions in that subsection. MCL 750.231a(1)(a) supplies the matching exception to the concealed-pistol prohibition in MCL 750.227(2) for individuals licensed to carry by another state.
No. Michigan does not recognize permitless concealed carry. To carry a concealed pistol in Michigan, you need a Michigan CPL or a valid concealed carry license from a state whose residents Michigan recognizes. Open carry by qualifying residents is a separate question (see below).
You apply at the office of the county clerk in the county where you live. Michigan eliminated county gun boards on December 1, 2015 under MCL 28.425a, so the clerk now processes the application. The Michigan State Police verifies your record through LEIN and NICS and reports any statutory disqualification back to the clerk, but MSP does not issue or deny the license itself.
A new application is $100 paid to the county clerk under MCL 28.425b(5), plus a $15 fingerprinting fee (total $115). Of the $100 application fee, the county treasurer deposits $26 in the county's concealed pistol licensing fund and forwards the balance to the state treasurer for the Michigan State Police. Renewal is $115 under MCL 28.425l, and of that the county treasurer deposits $36 in the county's concealed pistol licensing fund and forwards the balance to the Michigan State Police. Training tuition is set by the instructor and is not capped by statute.
A county clerk shall issue an emergency CPL under MCL 28.425a(4) to an individual who has obtained a personal protection order, or when a county sheriff finds clear and convincing evidence that the person's safety (or that of a family or household member) is endangered by the inability to immediately obtain a CPL. An emergency license is valid for 45 days or until the county clerk issues a notice of statutory disqualification, whichever occurs first. The emergency license becomes void if the holder does not complete a pistol training course under MCL 28.425j and apply for a regular CPL under MCL 28.425b within 10 business days after applying for the emergency license. A person may obtain only one emergency license in any five-year period.
Once your fingerprints are taken, the county clerk has 45 days to issue either a CPL or a notice of statutory disqualification under MCL 28.425b. If the clerk misses that deadline, MCL 28.425b makes your fingerprinting receipt function as a CPL when you carry it together with your state-issued driver's license or ID, and it stays valid until the clerk issues the license or a notice of statutory disqualification.
If the county clerk issues a notice of statutory disqualification, fails to provide a required receipt, or fails to issue the license, you may appeal to the circuit court in the county where you live under MCL 28.425d. The court reviews the record for error, and if it finds the clerk's action clearly erroneous or arbitrary and capricious, it shall order the clerk to issue the license or receipt. The court may also order an entity to refund filing fees, or in an arbitrary-and-capricious case, actual costs and attorney fees, according to the degree of responsibility. Check current Michigan court rules and the appeal forms supplied with your application for filing deadlines and procedure.
Michigan requires at least 8 total hours of instruction under MCL 28.425j, which must include at least 5 hours of classroom work and at least 3 hours on a live firing range. Range work requires firing a minimum of 30 rounds. Classroom topics include safe storage and handling, fundamentals of pistol shooting, firearms and the law (taught by an attorney or someone trained in deadly-force law), avoiding criminal attack, and Michigan-specific concealed carry law.
Your certificate must be from training completed within five years before the date you apply. The instructor must be certified by the State of Michigan or by a recognized national or state firearms training organization, and the certificate must include the instructor's printed name, original signature, and the statement "This course complies with section 5j of 1927 PA 372."
MCL 28.425o lists the "pistol-free zones" (PFZs) for CPL holders carrying concealed: schools and school property; public or private child care, day care, child caring institutions, or child placing agencies; sports arenas and stadiums; bars and taverns licensed under the liquor control code where the primary source of income is the sale of liquor by the glass consumed on the premises; property or facilities owned or operated by a church or other place of worship (unless the presiding official permits carry); entertainment facilities with a seating capacity of 2,500 or more individuals; hospitals; and dormitories or classrooms of community colleges, colleges, or universities. Under MCL 28.425o(4), parking areas of these premises are statutorily EXCLUDED from the PFZ. MCL 28.425o(5) exempts certain individuals (for example, retired law enforcement officers and licensed on-duty security personnel).
Penalty schedule (MCL 28.425o(6)):
Casinos are also off-limits. MCL 28.425o(3) makes it a violation to carry concealed in a Detroit-area commercial casino contrary to Michigan Gaming Control Board administrative rule R 432.1212. Tribal casinos are governed by individual tribal gaming compacts.
Court facilities are off-limits to weapons under Michigan Supreme Court Administrative Order 2001-1, which applies to the entire court facility, not only courtrooms while a case is being heard. (Discussed in Michigan Open Carry, Inc. v. Clio Area Sch. Dist., 318 Mich App 356 (2016).) Note that MCL 750.234d(1)(c) also lists a "court" as a place where firearm possession is prohibited, subject to the exceptions in that statute.
No, in most voting locations. As amended by 2024 PA 157 and 2024 PA 158 (effective April 2, 2025), MCL 750.234d(3) prohibits firearm possession, while the polls are open on Election Day, in a polling place or within 100 feet of any entrance to the building under MCL 750.234d(3)(a); at an early voting site or within 100 feet of its entrance on any early voting day under MCL 750.234d(3)(b); within 100 feet of an absent voter ballot drop box for the 40 days before an election under MCL 750.234d(3)(c); and in a city or township clerk's office or staffed satellite office, or within 100 feet of its entrance, during the 40-day in-person absentee period under MCL 750.234d(3)(d). MCL 750.234d(6) separately prohibits possession in an absent voter counting place while ballots are being processed.
CPL holders carrying a concealed pistol are exempt from the subsection (3) locations under MCL 750.234d(4)(c). Lawful possession in your own residence or on your own private property, or by any other person who has permission to possess a firearm there, is exempt under MCL 750.234d(4)(b), and a firearm lawfully transported or possessed in a vehicle is exempt under MCL 750.234d(5). The CPL exemption does not extend to an absent voter counting place under subsection (6); only a uniformed law enforcement officer on duty is exempt there under MCL 750.234d(7). A violation of MCL 750.234d is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days or a $100 fine, or both.
There is no Michigan statute making it a crime to walk past a posted "no weapons" sign while carrying a concealed pistol. The sign itself is not a criminal prohibition. However, the property owner or the owner's agent can ask you to leave, and if you refuse you can be charged with trespass under Michigan law. Treat posted signs as notice that you should not carry there.
Yes, in the dining area of a restaurant that holds a liquor license, provided the establishment is not a bar or tavern where liquor by the glass is the primary source of income. Bars and taverns of that kind are pistol-free zones for CPL holders under MCL 28.425o(1)(d). Anywhere you carry, MCL 28.425k makes it unlawful to carry while under the influence, and it sets a 0.02 BAC floor for the lowest tier of violation, well below the driving limit. Acceptance of a Michigan CPL is implied consent to a chemical test on probable cause.
Yes, with a valid CPL. MCL 324.504(8) addresses concealed carry on land under the jurisdiction of the Department of Natural Resources, such as state parks, state forests, and state-managed areas, for individuals licensed to carry. Federal land has its own rules: national parks and national forests generally follow state law for possession, but federal facilities such as visitor centers, ranger stations, and federal courthouses are off-limits regardless of state law.
Yes. MCL 28.425c(3) authorizes a CPL holder to carry a pistol in a vehicle anywhere in Michigan, subject to the pistol-free zones in MCL 28.425o. MCL 750.231a(1)(a) provides the matching exception to the felony vehicle-carry prohibition in MCL 750.227(2). A CPL is the practical way to keep a loaded pistol in the passenger compartment.
Without a CPL, MCL 750.231a allows transport only when the pistol is unloaded, kept in a closed case designed for the storage of firearms, and either in the trunk of the vehicle or, in a vehicle without a trunk, not readily accessible to the occupants. The trip must also be for a lawful purpose, such as travel to or from a range, a hunting area, a gunsmith, a place of sale, or another place where the pistol may lawfully be used. Carrying a concealed pistol in the passenger compartment without a CPL violates MCL 750.227(2) and is charged as a felony.
Yes, immediately, when stopped. MCL 28.425f(3) requires a Michigan CPL holder who is carrying a concealed pistol or a portable electro-muscular disruption device, and who is stopped by a peace officer, to immediately disclose that fact to the officer. A violation of this immediate-disclosure duty is a state civil infraction for both a first and a subsequent offense, not a misdemeanor, under MCL 28.425f(5). First offense: a $500 fine and a 6-month CPL suspension. A subsequent offense within 3 years of a prior offense: a $1,000 fine and CPL revocation. (Separately, MCL 28.425f(4) makes failing to have your CPL and ID in your possession, or failing to show them on request, a state civil infraction with a $100 fine.)
No. MCL 28.425k makes it unlawful to carry a concealed pistol while under the influence of alcoholic liquor or a controlled substance (as defined in MCL 333.7104), or while having a bodily alcohol content of 0.02 or more. The statute sets three tiers of violation under MCL 28.425k(2):
The 0.02 floor is far stricter than the driving limit. Acceptance of a Michigan CPL constitutes implied consent to a chemical analysis on probable cause; refusing the test triggers a six-month CPL suspension.
Open carry is generally legal for individuals who may lawfully possess a firearm and who carry a pistol that is registered to them through the Pistol Sales Record system, subject to other statutes. Many of the MCL 28.425o pistol-free zones apply only to concealed carry, so a CPL holder may openly carry in some locations where concealed carry is prohibited. Some statutes still apply regardless of how you carry, including the weapon-free school zone provisions and private property rules. The MCL 750.234d(1) listed premises (depository financial institutions, places of worship, courts, theaters, sports arenas, day care centers, hospitals, and liquor-licensed establishments) do not bind a CPL holder, because MCL 750.234d(2)(c) exempts a person licensed to carry a concealed pistol from that subsection (1) prohibition, whether carrying openly or concealed. The MCL 750.234d(3) voting-location prohibitions likewise have a CPL exemption under MCL 750.234d(4)(c).
MCL 750.234e prohibits willfully and knowingly brandishing a firearm in public, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days or a $100 fine, or both. The lawful display of a firearm in self-defense or defense of another under the Self-Defense Act, 2006 PA 309, MCL 780.971 to 780.974, is exempt under MCL 750.234e(2). The Michigan Attorney General has explained that brandishing means pointing, waving about, or displaying a firearm in a threatening manner, and that carrying a holstered pistol openly and without threatening conduct is not brandishing.
Michigan recognizes both castle doctrine and no-duty-to-retreat (stand-your-ground) principles. Under MCL 780.972, a person who is not engaged in a crime and who has a legal right to be where they are may use deadly force without first retreating if they honestly and reasonably believe the force is necessary to prevent imminent death, great bodily harm, or sexual assault. Non-deadly force may be used on the same legal-presence and reasonable-belief standard. MCL 780.973 and MCL 780.974 preserve common-law self-defense rules; none of MCL 780.972 to 780.974 create civil immunity. Civil protection for justified self-defense is provided separately by MCL 600.2922b, and MCL 600.2922c awards actual attorney fees and costs to a prevailing self-defense defendant in a civil action.
Michigan recognizes a valid concealed carry license issued to a resident by another state, the District of Columbia, or a United States territory. The non-resident must be a resident of the issuing state, must carry in compliance with any restrictions on the face of that license, and must follow Michigan's substantive carry rules (pistol-free zones, the BAC limit, and the duty to inform on a stop) while in Michigan.
Important: Michigan does not honor a non-resident permit issued by a state other than the carrier's actual state of residence. For example, a Utah or Florida non-resident permit held by a visitor whose home state is Illinois does not, by itself, provide reciprocity in Michigan. Out-of-state license holders carrying concealed in a vehicle rely on the exception in MCL 750.231a(1)(a) to the prohibition in MCL 750.227(2).
Many states honor a Michigan CPL, but reciprocity is governed by each destination state. The Michigan State Police directs Michigan CPL holders to confirm the destination state's rules before traveling and to comply with the destination state's concealed carry laws once there. Reciprocity arrangements change, so verify status close to the date of travel rather than relying on a list you printed months earlier.
Renewal is governed by MCL 28.425l. You may apply up to six months before expiration, and you remain eligible to renew if your CPL is current or has been expired for less than one year. The license is valid until the licensee's birthday that falls not less than four years and not more than five years after the issue or renewal date. The county clerk issues a renewal CPL or a notice of statutory disqualification within 30 days under MCL 28.425l(3). If you apply before expiration and the renewal has not yet been issued, MCL 28.425l(6) extends the current license, and under MCL 28.425l(3) and (7) the renewal receipt carried with your expired license serves as a CPL until the new license or a notice of statutory disqualification is issued.
You must apply for a new CPL, including the full new-applicant training and fingerprint requirements. The waived educational requirement for renewal applicants under MCL 28.425l(9), which lets a renewal applicant certify to a 3-hour training review and 1 hour of range time instead of repeating the full course, is not available once the license has been expired for more than a year.
Yes. As of February 13, 2024, Public Acts 17 and 18 of 2023 expanded the License-to-Purchase and background-check requirement to all firearm transfers in Michigan, not just handguns. Private sales of long guns now also require either a federal background check through an FFL or a Michigan License to Purchase, depending on the firearm type. The buyer must be eligible to possess firearms; transferring to a prohibited person is a felony.
Effective February 13, 2024, Public Act 17 of 2023 (codified at MCL 28.429) sets safe-storage duties in two parts. Under MCL 28.429(1), an individual who stores or leaves a firearm unattended on premises under the individual's control, and who knows or reasonably should know that a minor is, or is likely to be, present on the premises, must store it in a locked box or container, or keep it unloaded and locked with a properly engaged locking device. Under MCL 28.429(2), an individual who enters onto another person's premises and leaves a firearm unattended there, and who knows or reasonably should know that a minor is, or is likely to be, present, must secure the firearm the same way (or secure and lock it in a vehicle before entering).
The criminal penalties apply when a violation results in a minor obtaining the firearm. Under MCL 28.429(3) it is a misdemeanor (up to 93 days or a $500 fine) if the minor possesses or exhibits the firearm in public or in a careless, reckless, or threatening manner. It is a felony if the minor discharges the firearm and causes injury (up to 5 years under MCL 28.429(4)), serious impairment of a body function (up to 10 years under MCL 28.429(5)), or death (up to 15 years under MCL 28.429(6)). MCL 28.429(7) lists exceptions, including a minor's supervised lawful use, lawful hunting, a minor who gains access through unlawful entry, and a minor acting in lawful self-defense.
Michigan's "red flag" law, Public Act 38 of 2023, codified at MCL 691.1801 et seq. and effective February 13, 2024, allows certain petitioners to ask a court to order an individual to surrender firearms when the individual can reasonably be expected in the near future to seriously physically injure themselves or another person by possessing a firearm. Under MCL 691.1805(2), the eligible petitioners are: a spouse, a former spouse, a person who has a child in common with the respondent, a person who has or had a dating relationship with the respondent, a current or former household member, a family member, a guardian, a law enforcement officer, and a health care provider (subject to confidentiality limits). A prosecuting attorney is not an eligible petitioner.
A court may issue an order after a hearing with both parties present under MCL 691.1807, or, on a higher clear-and-convincing-evidence showing, an ex parte (emergency) order without prior notice under MCL 691.1807(2). A restrained individual must generally surrender firearms within 24 hours under MCL 691.1809(1)(c). An order lasts one year and can be extended under MCL 691.1817. Under MCL 691.1819(1), refusing or failing to comply with an ERPO is a felony for every offense tier: a first offense is a felony punishable by up to 1 year or a $1,000 fine; a second offense is a felony punishable by up to 4 years or a $2,000 fine; and a third or subsequent offense is a felony punishable by up to 5 years or a $20,000 fine.
A valid CPL generally exempts the holder from the License to Purchase (LTP) requirement under MCL 28.422. The exemption does not extend to interim documents that serve as a CPL, such as an emergency license issued under MCL 28.425a or a renewal receipt serving as a CPL under MCL 28.425l. A holder relying on one of those interim documents should confirm current LTP and background-check requirements before acquiring a handgun from a private seller.
Suppressors are legal to possess in Michigan if you are licensed or otherwise lawfully approved to possess them under federal law administered by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Machine guns are prohibited under MCL 750.224 unless lawfully possessed and registered under federal law, consistent with the federal pre-May 19, 1986 cutoff in 18 USC 922(o). Unlawful possession of a prohibited weapon under MCL 750.224 is a felony punishable by up to five years.
These items are also regulated under the federal National Firearms Act (NFA). Under MCL 750.222, a "short-barreled rifle" is defined in subdivision (k) and a "short-barreled shotgun" in subdivision (l). Transporting an NFA item (a machine gun, short-barreled rifle, short-barreled shotgun, or destructive device) across state lines requires advance ATF authorization under 27 CFR 478.28. Under Public Law 119-21, the federal making and transfer tax is $200 for a machinegun or a destructive device and $0 otherwise, applied to calendar quarters beginning more than 90 days after July 4, 2025, so the first qualifying quarter is January 1, 2026.
A portable device that uses electro-muscular disruption technology (in practice, a TASER-brand device) is legal to purchase and possess in Michigan under MCL 750.224a only if the holder has a valid Michigan CPL or a recognized out-of-state CPL, the seller verified the buyer's identity and provided training on use, effects, and risks at the time of sale, and the device bears the statutory identification and tracking system that allows it to be traced to the buyer. In practice, only devices with the required tracking system qualify; generic consumer stun guns without that tracking system fall outside the statutory authorization. Use is limited to circumstances that would justify lawful physical force.
Self-defense spray is regulated under MCL 750.224d. The statute permits a "self-defense spray or foam device" that contains not more than 18% oleoresin capsicum by concentration, or not more than 35 grams of any combination of orthochlorobenzalmalononitrile (CS) and inert ingredients. The limit is a concentration cap on the active ingredient, not a limit on the ounces of product. Reasonable use of a lawful device to protect against an unlawful threat is permitted; unlawful use carries the penalties set out in the statute.
The Michigan Legislature publishes the "Firearms Laws of Michigan" PDF on legislature.mi.gov under Publications. It is prepared under MCL 28.425a and reprints the Firearms Act, the relevant Penal Code sections, and selected materials. The Michigan State Police firearms page on michigan.gov/msp adds practical guidance, application forms, fingerprinting locations, and the online renewal portal. For close calls, read the statute itself rather than a summary; the operative text controls.
This page covers one part of our Michigan concealed carry guide.
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